The warm, heavy air was being replaced by the cold, stinging breeze from outside. The heat from my arena was escaping through the hole the mandril had created, probably boiling the ape at this very moment. You could see his fur catching on fire, but as he was resistant to fire, lightning, and ice damage, he barely felt it as he prepared to use his spear again.
Considering how the spear pierced right through the arena, my grandmother’s spear was still as much of a threat as before. It might not be true ice, but it was close enough that it didn’t show a hint of being burned, even with it touching my magma. In fact, it was cooling the stream of hot corrosive flame back into obsidian.
As the mandril readied his attack, Vifi immediately engaged it with her voltaic speed, slamming her electric hammer on the spear, parrying it before it could be thrusted. The mandril stomped the ground, dodging the following strike, only to retaliate, prompting Vifi and the mandril to engage in the same dance they had when they first fought.
[“You can control the arena, right? Get this ape trapped inside!”] Vifi stated before she dispelled the halberd in her hand, turning her lightning into a rapier. She then took out the broken physical rapier from its sheath, dual-wielding it as if it were a dagger.
Vifi’s sudden passiveness caught the mandril off guard, prompting him to do the same, probably used to how aggressively Vifi usually fought. Time flew by while I started making adjustments to the arena, but Vifi simply stood still, only tapping her right foot to the beat of my music. The mandril roared and taunted her with words, calling her a coward, but she kept tapping her foot as if nothing else mattered.
Even when the mandril’s spear started to ooze an icy mist, Vifi didn’t act. Unsure if this was a trick, the mandril roared and jumped backward as it raised the spear up before stabbing forward, shooting the icy mist at Vifi. The speed of the shot was still slow enough for me to perceive, which meant to Vifi, it should have felt even slower with all my buffs. So, why wasn’t she dodging?
As if she had heard my question, Vifi twirled her body to the right as the symphony reached its second movement, parrying the icy mist solidified into a spear with her broken rapier. As the spear pierced the outer shell of my arena, Vifi bent her knees, looking like she had broken her momentum to ready her rapier for a counter.
As the mandril drew his spear to the side to smack her, Vifi suddenly lunged forward as lightning wrapped around her body, moving even faster than usual with her voltaic lightning. With her rapier piercing through the mandril’s side, penetrating its armor thoroughly.
“Graaaaak!” the mandril roared in agony as it bent forward, clutching its bleeding side.
“Saunte Blitz!” Vifi shouted with all her might as she pulled her rapier and jumped away before he got caught by the ape’s hand. As she landed back on the ground, her two floating lightning arms formed her halberd and crossbow. “Burn it before it can heal!”
Right!
Opening up the arena to let me get a better view of the battle, I located [Sun, Consume All] and had it bathe the entire area with its flames, catching the ape in it before it could drink its giant-sized potions. Vifi, on the other hand, continued her assault with her usual aggression, using two of her voltaic Abilities with her halberd and crossbow.
That move… that is different, all right.
More disciplined, less reliant on speed but more on timing and momentum, and most of all, less destructive but still threatening. Unlike Vifi’s usual battle style that relied on entirely dominating the enemy with her speed and power, the “Yok style fencing” seemed like an actual proper martial art that had been refined over the years, similar to the Kargryxmor and Nordor style spearmanship.
“Saunte,” “Ciene,” and “Talliho” were only three proper moves Vifi apparently relearned from her meeting with her “father” in the dreamland the elemental emperor had created for her. [Voltaic Red: Saunte Blitz] was her personal addition to the style. According to Vifi, there are naturally more moves in the discipline, but unlike the three previous Abilities, the rest weren’t as fresh in her mind that she could execute them as well as the System wanted her to. Without mastering the other techniques, the System wouldn’t turn them into Abilities to be boosted by her skills.
Still, regardless of how much she talked herself down, Vifi’s first display of those techniques in live combat was something to behold. Elegant, graceful, and it looked like she was strutting on clouds whenever she used any of the three moves.
“Saunte” with her voltaic lightning made her already impressive “teleportation” seem faster, making her iconic lingering red light lag behind, even if it made her more predictable. Her lunges were always straight. “Ciene” allowed her to redirect attacks that shouldn’t be possible to parry due to size or timing. And even if her lightning attacks were considerably weakened against this monster, “Talliho” left such a deep puncture wound that it almost seemed like the ape didn’t have high lightning resistance.
Then again, it was just a small puncture wound compared to her usual attacks. It couldn’t kill the ape unless it pierced his neck or brain. Most likely, since [The Trial of Kings and Queens] gave Vifi’s physical attacks the wind element as well, her attacks could still deal a good amount of damage, considering I had [Storm Magic Lv. 5] and the ape still had [Storm Resistance Lv. 4]. In addition, [The Heir of Hope] applied [The Light]’s holy mana onto her attacks as well, while the ape barely got [Holy Resistance Lv. 3] from our last fight.
Even if the damage wasn’t a lot, the fact that Vifi always landed an attack when she entered her Yok style stance made the ape hold his breath just as I did. The fact that she was saluting with her rapier, calmly standing in the middle of a violent battle, was intimidating as heck. Seeing how she countered him whenever he tried to attack her in that stance was probably seared into the monster’s brain like a trauma. If Vifi could time her attacks with the climaxes of my songs, her attacks probably could land a debilitating wound.
As if he had read my mind, the mandril jumped away when Vifi assumed her stance. Slamming his spear into my arena’s outer shell, it started ripping off the shell, ignoring the magma splashing on its body. While his armor was sizzling since the magma was made from [Corrosive Fire], the toxins and acids couldn’t enter his body as I had wanted to. Even the vapors weren’t entering his nose as I started to notice a small blizzard wrapped around his body, similar to the way the elemental emperor was protecting themselves.
‘A few lesser elementals are on his shoulder,’ Hikari noted. ‘The blizzard cloak can’t stop our attacks and spells, but it’s enough to block toxic fumes. If we want to poison him, we need to do it the usual way—have him digest it or have him touch it. I’ll have a debilitating sample readied for when you’re ready. Just time it correctly so we don’t accidentally poison Vifi with the vapors.’
Got it.
The ape could adapt. Scarily so.
Vifi’s style was perfect to duel others—as she bragged—as it allowed her to counter them pretty easily. The issue was whether the opponent didn’t intend to interact with her, relying on range attacks or evading her outright. She had to use the Voltaic Red Style to catch up, which meant the same stalemate they had during their first fight would return. The more time the ape bought, the more likely the greater elementals could transform into an avian form and fly over, bringing the battle to us.
Letting the arena crack even more, showing the ape I didn’t need the arena to do what I needed to, I summoned [Hydra] and cast [Quartz Regen]. With a virulent spell golem made from obsidian slime below it, and a shower of giant white crystals raining from above, which were also toxic, the mandril’s plan to avoid Vifi came to a quick stop as I started helping Vifi out.
Aside from manipulating [Hydra] to keep the pressure on the mandril, I also started morphing the arena in an attempt to capture the ape. Even if it could freeze the magma, I could just heat it up again with [Sun, Consume All] or the periodic flame waves of [Quartz Regen].
“Princess!”
As I was trying to help Vifi out, Shay and Beth suddenly called for me from within the subspace.
Noticing them, I snapped around. “You guys! That’s perfect! We need some support over here!”
“That’s what we intended!” Shay replied, slightly in a panic. “Prince Nongramos told us we have to come to your aid. He is currently taking down some of the greater elementals, but he will arrive—”
“No!” I shouted. “If Nong is trying to come over here, you tell him that I don’t need him here, I need him as the elemental emperor!”
[“Scamp?”]
I jerked back for a moment as I heard Nong shout in my head before the wind suddenly rattled the inside of our subspace’s training area. Was Nong still flying around while carrying the subspace rune?
[“If this is you speaking, don’t shout in my head! NONG!”] I yelled back as I connected to his telepathic link. [“And, don’t sound so damn surprised! You’ve been around me for a while now, and you still can’t even imagine why this is my answer?”]
Nong didn’t answer, so I just continued speaking while controlling my spells on the side. [“We are members of the imperial family. You are a prince and I am a princess. A princess of Frozen Nest. I have a duty to protect my people and land from threats, so at this very moment, that is my priority! Nong, I am asking you this as a favor. Don’t worry about me, slow down that elemental or even kill it as long as you can assure Tasianna’s safety! That is what I want from you. Slow them down as much as possible so the evacuation can proceed!”]
[“I’m the fastest dragonkin in this place right now with all the elders gone. I can—”]
[“And yet, you still fucked off for nearly three weeks, unable to be found, and randomly appear right where Shay could find you? You even lied about why you were gone to hide it, and I’m all right with it. I’ve accepted that you can lie, but that those lies are white. You think I’m an idiot who can’t figure that out? If you are so fast, why did it take three weeks until you came back? Fastest dragon in the country, slowest to arrive!”]
Maybe I was being a bit harsh here, since in the one month that I was stuck building my arena, I didn’t really face any threats. My solar core was able to regrow without any problems, so it wasn’t like the three weeks were that much of a problem. I didn’t even get to feel lonely due to the subspace and the twins.
Yet, it didn’t change the fact that Nong, once again, lied to me. Kramps told me Nong was a liar, and while I wasn’t that naive to think that a white lie is as damaging as one made maliciously, it did hurt me a bit that he was being so mysterious about why he was gone for that long. Yet, none of this really mattered for this moment.
[“Nong, as I told you when I found out about your lie, I am okay with them. If you want to hide things, then it’s your right, as long as you aren’t trying to mess with me. I do want you to be a bit genuine, but I will not condemn you for them. We are half-siblings; we are family connected by Father. Trust your little sister, even if she doesn’t embody all the value of being a dragon,”] I said, feeling a bit emotional saying all of this as I kept my eye on the ape as he started absorbing my arena’s mana with his [Surge-Feeder of Flames] unique skill. [“Even if Father is a jerk, he is family to me because he is family to Mom. Mom is my mother, and as her daughter, I will defend the home that she has protected for over 2000 years now. Its subjects are mine to defend and nurture. Yet, I am not strong. Yet, I am also not prideful enough to not ask for help.”]
[“Even if it risks your life?”] Nong asked with a forlorn tone. [“An avalanche of greater ice elementals is flying to your position, right now. I can cut down a good chunk of them if you allow it, and I can reach your position in no time… though, I suspect you understand that is what the elemental emperor wants. If I’m gone, it can speed up its rampage.”]
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
[“Caught onto it, have you?”] I teased, smirking a bit to try to cheer him up. [“Let me handle that blizzard. I might be born a fire dragon, but somewhere in me is that ice dragon. I have still not fulfilled my purpose here, Brother. Maybe facing down all those ice elementals will help me unlock Mom’s lineage in me, and I won’t be able to see the results if you come here. Please… protect my people until they can fight for themselves.”]
[“… In these times, you should rely on those stronger than you, little scamp. The strong have a responsibility to defend the weak.”]
[“Hehe… then protect the dragonewts and wyverns who need you, Fourth Prince of the Dragon Empire, Kargryx!”] I declared. [“As I will promise to survive! Trust in me, a dragon that will accept fleeing if necessary! I am the type of person who understands that to survive is to win!”]
[“… Then sear your image in your enemies’ last thoughts, Third Princess of the Dragon Empire, Kargryx. Even if it breaks my body, I will prevent this elemental from ever hurting even one of your subjects!”]
Thank you, Nong. Spatial Rend! Spatial Rend!
Opening two portals for the twins to enter through, I teleported the two from the subspace to my position, allowing them to take flight to assist Vifi. As blue mist exuded from their body, they returned to their wyvern forms.
While Beth wasn’t able to gain enough levels during the one-month timeout to evolve, her brother had been able to get used to his new body after the worm battle. His unique skill, [Scale of True Cold], gained after his [Hestia’s Retainer] turned into [Hestia’s Imperial Guard], influenced his evolution choices, giving him a mutation for his rank A appearance.
He was still a pure ice wyvern, though, and while his general appearance was still rather similar to his twin, what made Shay different was an additional set of wings on his back like a dragon. Having grown even larger than me now with a length of 2045cm (67.1 feet), Shay’s wyvern form was rather muscular now, even if he was still extremely sleek, with an aerodynamic body that could accelerate at a moment’s notice with his four powerful wings.
[Scale of True Cold] had two weaknesses—it was reliant on having a true dragonkin activate their aura, and Shay couldn’t shoot his molted scales, like us true dragonkin, but needed to shoot his entire scale for the skill. This evolution solved the latter issue pretty easily by attaining an evolution that acted like a porcupine that could shoot its quills out. He could regrow his scales at a moment’s notice as if he was being healed by holy magic, allowing him to shoot his scales out like a minigun.
In addition, his molted scales were technically pretty hard as well, allowing him to protect himself with [Scale Manipulation] while his scales needed to regrow. There was still a window of opportunity, though, since the molted layers were nowhere as strong as his normal scales, but it sufficed since he still retained his ability to flash-freeze moisture into glacial armor from his rank B form.
Furthermore, true ice was still better, anyway. [Hoarfrost Scales] was his main defensive spell, though it could also act as a powerful offensive tool once he sent his scales with the true ice armor active out like projectiles.
In any case, what this meant was that Shay had turned into a ballista that could shoot scales like a minigun. With two more allies here, I refocused on my efforts to trap the ape.
Yet, even with the additional firepower, the fact that none of us could properly deal any damage to the monster was an important fact we couldn’t ignore. His two unique skills allowed him to literally eat fire or lightning mana, meaning if Vifi couldn’t land a proper attack, the mandril could just eat her weapons with impunity. He ate the shell of my arena like a giant cheese ball.
While he couldn’t heal himself, absorbing lightning and fire mana allowed him to construct weapons and armor out of those elements in a manner similar to the wrath demonkin. Though he had the potential to reach a similar state, the mandril merely wrapped himself with the fire and lightning, like defensive tools, while relying on his ice spear to attack.
This armor severely cut down on the damage our ice, fire, and lightning attacks could do with his already high resistance. We could keep poking the monster with [The Trial of Kings and Queens] and [The Heir of Hope], adding wind and holy mana to her attacks, but that was a death by a thousand needles at that point. The mandril could ignore most of it and continue destroying my arena and stalling for his own reinforcement.
It was fortunate that Shay’s quill-like scales counted as a physical attack, so the monster was still taking damage even if it was low. Every chink in his armor and every chip to his health would lead to the mandril’s demise, eventually. It just took time… a lot of it.
The mandril also had time to harm us. I started to lose golems as the mandril was throwing out balls of flame and lightning into my arena as if it was trying to carpet bomb me. While I wouldn’t take any damage, I was getting afraid it could ruin the bardic violin Kahalameet gifted me. We had to switch something up.
All right, bring Providence’s Will out.
“All right!” I shouted as I pulled my holy catalyst and my glaive out, putting the former inside the catalyst compartment as I started singing [The Heir of Hope] through it like a microphone. This act connected it to my violin, so I could start applying [The Light]-tier holy element to Vifi’s weapons, while also granting her [Sanctified Blaze: Halo of Consecration]-type healing.
However, unlike my reaction, instead of [The Light] being the source of the holy mana, it actually was [Ruby Star]. Instead of a brilliant light, white flames burst from Vifi’s elemental weapons, wrapping themselves around her weapons entirely until you couldn’t even see a hint of her red lightning.
Regardless, the result should be the same even if the white flame’s fire damage would be resisted. With [Providence’s Will], I was stacking all the buffs I could find to grant Vifi the power boosts she needed. Stack up all the multipliers until the mandril just couldn’t ignore any of the damage!
Okay, Hikari, I—
In that very moment, the catalyst suddenly moved by itself, releasing itself from its bronze shell. Its core, the actual catalyst, started wiggling around to get out of my glaive, prompting [Foresight] to activate as it warned me the catalyst was about to fly away.
Reacting to that prediction, I grabbed the catalyst before it could fly away, yet that seemed to have only agitated it even further. It was struggling inside my grip, even using the bronze shell to snap at my arms. The fact that I couldn’t sing through it also meant the white flames on Vifi’s weapons started to vanish.
[“Release me.”] A new voice entered my head, sounding eerily similar to a woman I knew, though I couldn’t remember who it was. [“Former companion detected. Release me, Usurper.”]
Usurper? What? Who?
‘Andira’s voice,’ Hikari concluded. ‘It matches with one memory, and that was when we visited Yeostar and were ambushed by both Andira and Erithia.’
What? Uh, I think you forgot that ifAndira is speaking with us, she would do it through the System. We made the connection back in Elyonda, so she—
<Your other half is correct with this, Hestia.>
Speak of the devil…
<It has been a while, Hestia. I believe it had been over a year and more at this point, correct? I did not believe I would speak with you once again, but it seems there are some complications with my catalyst.>
It was Andira, no doubt about it, with how she called the catalyst hers.
<I’ll be brief. I have not received full permission to speak to you from Goddess Plesia, so I cannot tell you too much. Though what I may say is that my catalyst—specifically the ego inside—is currently attracted by the mana from the former Wind and Water Elemental Emperor. With your arena opened and the lingering mana on the mandragonga, my catalyst might have gotten a bit excited to see its ‘former companion.’ I apologize, but I must ask you to stop its reckless behavior.>
Huh, wait, you’re its proper owner! Goddess Andira, can’t you—
“Hestia!”
My body jerked up as I heard Vifi’s voice, roused back into action when [Foresight] and [Danger Perception] activated. Without giving the attack a look, I cast [Wind Blast] to evade the attack, only to be blown away when the mandril suddenly crashed where I just stood, drilling through the ground with his spear.
Rolling on the ground to soften my landing, I activated [Humanize], expelling blue mist from my body as my bones, muscles, and even my organs started to turn back to their original form. As my form grew, so did my rhytilic armor, cladding the crimson scales on my torso in a hard, black armor. With [Panzer] cast, the rest of my body was now completely protected.
If the mandril willingly came into the arena despite knowing I could control everything inside it, then it probably underestimated the fact that Vifi and I could use our Territories. It probably was capable enough to have one itself, so why was it trying to gamble on beating our Territories? Losing a Territory clash against somebody with a higher mana pool was a sure way to just die from arcane corruption.
Then again, maybe it was just animalistic confidence.
As the blue mist started to dissipate, my solar core started to release its solar energy into my bloodstream and cells, energizing my entire body as I readied [Ruby Shredder]. As the heat started to gather in my throat, not fully ready, the mist vanished before my eyes, but instead of seeing the mandril target me, it suddenly bashed [Providence’s Will] with its spear, shattering the bronze casing around it as it crashed against the wall.
What?
Instead of me, the ape’s aggression was entirely fixated on the catalyst for some reason. It raised its spear in the air, grunting in anger as it targeted [Providence’s Will].
“Only. One God!”
Shit! Hydra!
I forcefully stopped the solar energy spreading throughout my body, cooling myself down as I commanded both the arena and [Hydra] to grab the ape’s arms, preventing it from destroying my catalyst. Yet, the flames, lightning, and ice bursting from its body meant it would break through its bindings in no time. I had to grab [Providence’s Will] out of its reach.
Flying over with my boosters or having Vifi grab it was one option, but I had something that was less intensive—[Spatial Rend]. Opening up a new portal right next to the catalyst, I looked through to check on its state, noticing the entire shell broken down, with pieces dangling around like loose hair. The catalyst itself didn’t have a scratch on it, though it did look a bit more oval than usual.
[“Oi, come over here while I got it restrained!”] I moved my hand through the portal, aiming to grab the catalyst, but as if it were a fly, it flew through the gaps of my large palm.
[“Do not interfere, Usurper. Comrades detected, must find them.”]
[“Seriously? This is the first time I’ve heard you speak to me, and this is how you’re reacting? Goodness, calling me a usurper when Goddess Andira and Goddess Aurena themselves allowed this ownership is messed up!”] I shouted, trying to grab it, only to see it evade me again. [“Get in here, right now!”]
[“Must find comrades…”]
Goddess Andira, seriously, couldn’t you have gotten rid of the damn A.I., or at least made it not resemble the stupid Light Elemental Emperor? Why is it acting up now, of all times?
[“You can find them with me!”] I shouted before putting a bit more force in my arm, successfully grabbing the catalyst before it could fly away. Melting some of the [Panzer] around my palm, I also glued the catalyst to me with the corrosive slime.
“Grraaagh! Only one God! Our GOD!” The mandril roared, breaking through [Hydra] and the arena’s binding after freezing both. He stomped forward and lunged, but was instantly stopped when a giant icicle crashed against his body, followed by a thunderous spear throw.
“Stop wasting so much time! Get it out of there, now!” Vifi shouted as Shay and Beth descended into the arena, attempting to engage the mandril.
However, before their next attacks could reach the mandril, it swung its arm forward, imitating Vifi’s throwing posture as it threw its spear at the portal.
Too fast! Purple Flash. Gloria Ascenda—CANCEL IT!
However, before my lightning spell could even go off, the spear had already entered through the portal as I retreated my hand. As the spear wasn’t a living being, I could close the [Spatial Rend] without an issue, but closing it demanded some seconds. Seconds I couldn’t spare as I tried to dodge it… but failed as the spear struck right into my chest, piercing through the [Panzer].
I didn’t know if the spear pierced my chestplate, but I could feel the cold piercing my body. My body temperature was lowering at an alarming rate as numbness quickly appeared, as if I was poisoned by that anti-fire dragon poison when I fought those dragonslayers. I knew the spear was coated in anti-dragon blood, but at best, it meant my [True Draconic Barrier] would just be redundant. My rhytilic armor should be strong enough to protect me, but maybe it wasn’t enough when it came to the cold?
The portal closed, cutting off a huge chunk of the spear. The dulled shaft returned to the mandril, but now a part of the ice was stuck in my chest. Feeling weak in my knees, I fell onto the ground, trying to breathe as I couldn’t feel oxygen entering my lungs.
“Hestia!” Vifi shouted.
“Your Highness!” The twins shouted in Draconic.
Have to remove—Urghk!
A mere touch was enough to freeze my hands. Since my core was still active, it meant the spear hadn’t damaged it too much, and that meant my body couldn’t be frozen by the spear. Thankfully, it allowed me to melt the ice on my body, but that still didn’t solve how I was supposed to get the spear out of my body.
[“Usurper?”] [Providence’s Will] spoke, but I didn’t give it any of my attention as I saw Gravy panicking.
[“Don’t go out!”] I ordered. [“Have the golems retreat. Don’t come out, Gravy, please!”]
I have to get this out somehow. Hikari, any bright—
<It seems we can’t prolong it. It’ll be imperfect, but better now than to leave you in this state.>
Kramps?
<Hestia, listen to me. Calm down and pull out your grandmother’s crown. We’re performing the infusion process now. The spear’s ice mana is flowing into your body by merely touching your armor. We have to purge or assimilate it now, lest you fall into another coma!>